News release

Mississauga is ready for snow-clearing season

City services | November 7, 2023

The City’s crews are ready to respond to snowfall and wintery weather to keep you moving safely this snow-clearing season.

“We have the right winter maintenance program to get the job done safely and efficiently. Our crews are ready 24/7 to keep you moving because we know life doesn’t stop when it snows,” said Geoff Wright, Commissioner, Transportation and Works. “As we look ahead to heavy snowfall and messy winter weather, there are things we can all do to keep safe and make the City’s snow clearing more efficient. Remember to be alert and drive to weather conditions, give crews and equipment space to work, remove parked vehicles from your street when it’s snowing so we can clear your street properly and please treat our crews with kindness and respect as they do this critical work.”

What the City clears

The City’s fleet includes about 500 pieces of snow-clearing equipment, including 180 salt and plow trucks, 46 plow loaders and 275 sidewalk and bus stop clearing units. The City is responsible for clearing snow and ice on City-owned infrastructure, including approximately:

5,700 lane kilometres of roads
68 kilometres of on-street bike lanes
1,700 lane kilometres of priority sidewalks
3,300 bus stops
More than 1,000 pedestrian crossings
127 kilometres of roadside multi-use trails

City staff also provide winter maintenance at City facilities including community centres, libraries, and some park parking lots, paved pathways and trails. Peel Region is responsible for clearing most regional roads in Mississauga, which are main roads with higher speeds and more traffic than local residential roads.

City service levels

The City’s snow-clearing operations follow a priority route system.

Priority infrastructure is cleared first, including priority roads, which are routes for emergency vehicles, transit and high traffic volume, and priority sidewalks, which are located along major roads and bus routes and outside of schools, hospitals and long-term care homes. Bus stops, roadside multi-use trails, pedestrian crossings and on-street bike lanes are also cleared during this time. While the amount of time it takes to treat and clear infrastructure depends on how much it snows, it can take 12 to 24 hours to clear this priority infrastructure after the snow has stopped.

City crews then move on to clearing residential roads, which are cleared within 24 to 36 hours after the snow has stopped. Residential roads are not cleared to bare pavement but are cleared to be safe and passable for vehicles.

During severe weather events, the City may declare a Significant Weather Event, allowing crews more time to deploy winter equipment to address a significant winter storm. Service-level timing starts after the declaration has lifted, instead of when the snow stops.

Prioritizing safety and effective salt management

The City prioritizes effective salt management practices that maintain road safety while also trying to minimize the effect of salt on the environment.

“Heavy snowfalls are the new normal, but we also experience ice storms and icy conditions during the winter. We’re committed to maintaining road safety while also limiting the impacts to the environment by pre-treating some roads with brine, plowing more often and using the right amount of salt at the right place and the right time,” said Helen Noehammer, Director, Works Operations and Maintenance. “You can help minimize icy conditions on your property by clearing snow off your sidewalk and driveway soon after the snow stops to avoid build-up. Try to pile snow where it won’t melt on your sidewalk, driveway or next to your basement foundation, and use salt and ice-melting materials only as recommended by the manufacturer.”

Stay up-to-date on snow clearing in Mississauga this winter

Visit mississauga.ca/snow to learn more about snow clearing in the city.
Use the online snow plow tracker to view a map of the City’s snow-clearing routes and track the City’s fleet as it clears streets and sidewalks.
Follow @MississaugaSnow on X (formerly Twitter) for timely snow-clearing updates.
Find out if on-street parking restrictions are in effect and if temporary parking permits are suspended due to a weather event.
Call 311 (905-615-4311 if outside city limits) for questions related to the City’s snow-clearing operations or to report a missed street after the level of service timelines have ended.
Follow @PeelPublicWorks on X for snow-clearing updates on Regional roads.

Background

Snow safety tips

This winter, take the following actions to ensure your safety and the safety of others:

Allow for extra time when travelling.
Clear your walkway and sidewalk so others can travel safely and consider lending a hand to those who may need help shovelling.
Give snow-clearing equipment space to work.
Drive according to weather and road conditions.
Remove snow and ice from your vehicle, including all windows, headlights, roof and hood.
Consider wearing appropriate footwear to avoid slips and falls and installing winter tires for better traction.
Bring pets indoors during extreme weather conditions.